Pokemon: The Power Inside
by Epic0n
Summary: Find your inner champion! (Kanto origin story)(To be edited soon...)
1. Chapter 1

p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"All eyes and lights were on them. Out of so many challengers only 2 remained./p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Their eyes, determined and rugged, stared through each other's, finding a lack of strength, a break in their morale; neither had one. They each had worked too long to get here; they weren't going to let themselves down now.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The signal from the referee is given; they must choose their first champions to battle. Then the rest of the order is chosen, each one methodically after the other. The referee raises the next signal. "Trainers! Are you ready!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"His voice was amplified by a microphone on his shirt. Both trainers nod. They're ready. And now the world has a deafening silence, each side's fans hushed, waiting for the next move.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Fifteen- year old Ray is signaled first, his tall, gaunt build is tense with excitement and a will to win. He takes his first pokeball, tips his hat back, and launches it at the middle of the field. It bursts open, spewing out a stream of white energy, which begins to form, parts of it forming here and there. A horn and two huge ears appeared as its big pink body started to materialize. The stadium erupts into cheer the moment it roars. Ray has chosen-p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""It's a Nidorino!" The announcer exclaims on the intercom speaker.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"He continues "This is a very popular pick for Raymond Ketchum, using it in most of his matches. Its powerful body, surprisingly quick speed and deadly poison-tipped horn make it a fierce competitor for any trainer!" Ray smiled as his pokemon continued to roar, in an attempt to intimidate his opponent.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"It didn't.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The other trainer took out her first pokemon, on the cue, and tossed it into the air. It hung there for a second, then burst open, a huge amount of white energy splashing onto the stage. It morphed and folded in on itself numerous times before forming a pokemon, purple with a dastardly smile-p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""She sent out her GENGAR!" The audience erupted in cheers once again.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""This is another classic starter for Delia! Gengar, a ghost type, is one that will give ANY pokemon a run for its money, especially a poison type! This is going to be a fantastic battle!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Nidorino dug at the ground, ready to charge. Gengar was giving mean looks. Ray and Delia reviewed their strategies. The crowd was tense, waiting for the battle to begin. The referee gave the signal. br "Let the battle begin!"/p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"...br But that's not how the story will continue./p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Who will win is not the question. Yet.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"It's the journey to get there, all of the blood, sweat and tears, which truly shows a trainer their power inside...p 


	2. Chapter 2

_Goldilocks planet (plural Goldilocks planets) (astronomy) A planet which orbits in the habitable zone around a star, where temperatures like those on Earth occur, allowing for the possible existence of liquid water and of life. There are two known in our local galaxy. One of them was deemed unsafe because it was radioactive..._

It was over before it started. The crowd knew it, the trainers epecially knew it, and so did little Red. His slim hands looked like they were stuck to the glass, eyes staring straight at the TV with a tag on it screaming "SALE". They were showing the Pokemon League Semi-finals, and the trainer stupidly called out his weepinbell and sent out a pidgeotto. The other one had a Kadabra.

Red yelled at the TV like any sports fanatic would: "Hey stupid! A flying type isn't as fast as a psychic type with stats THAT high! Stick to the wing attacks, not the gusts! They're too weak! Don't use physical attacks when his REFLECT is up!" "Hey kid! Quiet, will you? I wanna watch this!" There was another man there, equally as glued to the glass, with a fake Pokemon League Hat and a charizard on his shirt. Definitely a fanboy.

"Besides, where is your mother?"

"She's inside, heckling down an electric fire pit. This is far more interesting."

The man looked down at the boy. From the side, he looked thin, with matted black hair, a jutted nose and big cheekbones.

"Shouldn't you be at school, little kid?"

The liitle boy looked up at him with his green eyes jutting back between the screen and the portly man next to him.

"Not yet, buddy. School doesn't start for another half hour." He spoke maturely for his age.

The man paused. "This is a rerun, isn't it?" He didn't seem that interested anymore. Something told him he saw it already.

The boy answered matter-of-factly, "Yeah, so what? I've never seen this battle before."

The fanboy gave him a weird glance. The kid must be a beginner. He was just spewing out anything he could think of to make sense.

"Hit him with that again! No! Why did it hit itself with confusion?! WHY DOES ANY POKEMON DO THAT?!"

"Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Red."

He was taken aback. "Red? Why would your mom-"

"She didn't call me that. I gave it to myself."

"Why?" Was it his favorite color?

Red took a deep breath. He was used to being picked on for it, but this guy was a stranger.

"Because, Red is the highest color-coded level you could achieve in the pokemon league. It means you're a master. I want to be Red, and calling myself that seemed like the best way to not forget."

The fanboy turned away from the messed-up little black haired kid and headed further down the open-air mall. Celadon City was a small minded metropolis surrounding the huge walled area for a clear glass scaffolding overhead and enumerable kiosks and small offices. There were plans to build a huge vertical mall, but the building committee lost funding.

As expected, the trainer's Kadabra made quick work of the pidgeotto and weepinbell. By the time his mother came out of the store with the pit in a box, the Kadabra was wiping the floor with a gloom.

"Red, let's go. We just need one more thing before we can send you to school."

"But MOM, the match! It's almost over!"

"Red, let's go NOW." His mother was used to the snobby tone- she tended to ignore it to save energy.

Sharing the pit's weight, they continued down the massive alleyway that crossed the entire complex, fragrant flowers and small fountains gracing the center pieces along the way.

"After we get the groceries, can I see the new cards?"

"If we have time, Sta-"

"Red."

"Right. If we have time, Red. You still have to change into school uniform."

He had to oblige. He needed good grades to make it to the Pokemon Academy. They teach kids to be trainers there. That's what he wanted to be, ever since he saw the magnificent "Trevor Owens vs. Lance". It's regarded as one of the greatest battles for a reason. He always wanted the card of Lance's Dragonite. Maybe he'd finally get it.

Then he heard a noise. It was faint, but it was there. Like a small pitching sound. He turned to his mom, who seemed oblivious to it.

Was he going crazy? Was he finally what all those kids thought of him?

The noise got louder, then fainter. They must have been passing it. He put down his load and rushed to the noise.

"Red? Red! Where are you going?!"

He had to find it. Something was wrong. He had been in this place too many times to hallucinate.

The pitch grew as he got closer.

What was he looking for? A bomb? A key or something? He didn't know what to expect.

Then it got even louder. People nearby were looking around now. He wasn't alone. There wasn't any time for breaths of relief now. He had to keep looking.

Then it got even higher as he found where it was.

It was... in a trash can. A dinky, ugly trash can in the middle of the plaza. The pitch grew to almost unbearable decibels. He looked inside amongst the terrible din.

It was a pokeball, vibrating violently and blasting out white light from the cracks. Something was trying to get out.

But he reached in. The pitch wouldv'e damaged any older person's hearing if they were that close.

Then the light burst out so hard that it broke the ball in two. The beam of light morphed into something terrifying. It was a massive snake, with ocean blue scales and fins, huge white teeth and a defeaning roar. And it was PISSED.

"G-gyarados!"


	3. Chapter 3

p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The crowd erupted into screams of sheer terror as the beast roared menacingly. All Red could do was stare at its sheer size. He had never seen a pokemon this big before and never this close. He was too small to be noticed as the massive sea monster took in its surroundings. /p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Then he saw his Mother burst through the thrings and grab him by the shirt, lurching him away from the Monster.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! KEEP RUNNING!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Amidst the screams and the forceful tugging on his turned back towards the beast. Its angry eyes seemed somewhat calmer now, as most of the ruckus was moving away from it. The the Police came.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""ALL UNITS, ENGAGE PROTOCOL 11! IMMOBILIZE THE POKEMON NOW! SET A PERIMETER!" p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"He heard pokeballs crack behind him, as different roars and battle cries filled the huge plaza as it became a massive battlefield.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Vaporeon, ICE BEAM!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""MAGNETON, THUNDERSHOCK!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The two farthest away from them moved forward with their attacks, lightning flashing behind them.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red and his Mother were some of the last on their way out, while a Venusaur and Chancey attacked from the other side. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Meanwhile, they had shut the doors remotely, unable to let the rest out. All the rest of the shoppers could do was hide behind a barricade. Only Red peeked out to see what was happening. He never saw a battle this close.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"But the Gyarados was too powerful, and their attacks weren't doing the damage they expected. The thundershock rolled off, it broke out of the ice beam, dodged the Venasaur's solar beam and deflected Chancy's hyper beam. Then it got mad and let loose.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"A massive ball of white and green energy flowed from his belly to its mouth. The policemen didn't know whether to command them to brace for impact or dodge it.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red had seen enough battles to know what that was. And as he ducked, he knew what damage it could do. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The Gyarados let loose one of its most powerful attacks on the whole plaza. The dragon rage sliced through the stores and ground like they were made of sand. It swung up and shattered the glass and knocked out Chancy and its trainer, the one nearest the people. As it recharged, Red peeked it out and saw the damage. The dodging took a toll on all of the pokemon there, while the plaza was almost completely destroyed.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"A gyarados like that must be a high enough level, so direct attacks won't do any good. The only way was for them to make it slower in status. He looked around the area for something other than a policeman's pokemon to use as a weapon. Then he saw a pokemon store across the way. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Mom, I have an idea."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Red, I have another one. We stay here."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""But Mom, we have to-"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""No. I forbid you from doing anything to help. They can take care of themselves."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Meanwhile the Gyarados froze the Magnaton and knocked out Venusaur. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"As he watched the others losing, Red got an idea. He turned to the rest of the crowd, crouched behind the long and narrow barricade. He knew policemen had no other Pokemon, and they were seriously outgunned. But what about the strangers behind him?p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Does anyone here have a-"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Mom tugged his sleeve down to where she crouched.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Red! Stop interfering!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"He shook her grip off and asked again-p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Does anyone here have any Pokemon? Raise your hand, then."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Some raised their hands, but refused to come out and battle.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Not battle, to weaken. I- We need to just weaken it to stop it. Who's with me?"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Then one of the men got a surge of bravery or something, because he immediately stood up, and with a "he's right! Let's go!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out an expanding pokeball.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"He launched out his butterfree, to Red's dissapointment. Then others joined in. There was a diglett, Fearow, electrode, another butterfree, persian and scyther. A weird mix, but it will do.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Guys!" Red called out to them. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Just distract him while you inflict status weakeners. Use your Butterfree's sleep and poison powders, Fearow's sand attacks, and the rest of you just keep its attention.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"They nodded in unison and began their unified attack. Gyarados got over whelmed almost immediately; it didn't know which one to attack. Fearow got sand in its eyes while the Butterfree dived around it spreading blankets of powder. Electrode, Scyther and Persian attacked it from behind, joining the weak Vaporeon in overwhelming it even more. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red got the attention of one of the other men watching the melee.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""There's a PokeMart on the other side. You'll find a pokeball there to catch it!"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Right," The man replied as he bolted to the other side, dodging the rubble that got in the way.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red watched with anticipation as he went in and began racing back with a whole carton of them.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"At first he thought he was being an idiot, but with a Pokemon that powerful, why take the chance?p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Then he tripped on the rubble, scattering Pokeballs across the floor. In a frightened panic, Red leaped out to catch some that fell. In that same momentum, he called out to one of the trainers, in a blue shirt.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Hey, BLUE SHIRT!" p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The man looked back to whoever called him. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red raised his hand back, holding a fresh new pokeball.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Catch it with this!" He launced it as fast as he could towards him...and missed.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"emI have to work on that.em/p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Hurry!" Blue Shirt replied.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red tried again, launching another one in a low arc into the other man's hands. He then launched it at the disoriented sea monster, touching it and setting off a chemical reaction only discovered within the past century.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"A Pokemon has white, solid energy, and red energy, maleable and shapeless like water. Only when its red energy is exposed is when it can fit into a pokeball. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Red saw as the monster's red form was exposed and pulled into the tiny, multi-colored ball.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"And shook p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" And shookp  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" And shook.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Then the whole crowd heard the satisfying emclunk emof the ball. It was all over./p 


	4. Chapter 4

It took a while for the dust to settle, and for everyone to realize that the coast was clear. The source of the chaos was now safely encased in a ball of re-enhanced steel, comprised of the most delicate wiring inside and the toughest berry-wood outside.

The trainers rushed back to the people behind the bariccades while the policemen called for medics and a messenger from the pokemon center. As sirens wailed outside, the sealers were opened and the previously- trapped crowd was welcomed with applause and expressions of relief.

Red and his Mom were some of the last ones out of the plaza, which was immedately closed for repairs until further notice. Then the policemen that were coming out with them began to applaud for the two.

Then an interviewer raced over, her abra in tow.

"Tell us what it feels like to be a hero." They weren't asking a policeman. They were asking Red.

He just stood there, clinging to his Mother like a child. "M-me?"

One of the policemen moved next to him, his Vaporeon rubbing against his leg.

"Your quick thinking saved us all. You're a hero!"

"I- I- Well I..." He turned back to the camera. He never imagined himself a hero. A Master, maybe. But not a hero.

"He won't be answering any comments today," his mother interrupted. "This boy has to go to school."

"School? Send that kid to the Academy already!" Someone called out.

Yet they still went on their way back home, carrying nothing with them but an experience they will never forget. It wouldn't be long before Red was in his red and white uniform with a bag of lunch, a bag full of books and a kiss on the forehead.

He was in the middle of a study of Gemini's science before he was called out to the headmaster's office.

Everyone had known about his encounter with the Gyarados, but no one thought it would get him in trouble. At least that's what he thought he was in when most kids were called there.

The light shimmering from the stained glass above his desk welcomed him before the Headmaster did.

"Ah, here he is. The hero! The boy of the hour!"

"Seems to be longer than an hour sir. I've been getting those praises all morning."- At least that's what he wanted to say.

"Red Tajiri, this is Professor Sam Oak. He is the Headmaster of the Pokemon Academy. Or at least he oversees it."

"How do you do, young...Red, is that what they call you?"

As they shook hands, the boy felt a little pride. "Yep that's what they call me."

The taller man with a fresh head of hair gave a look of admiration. He could feel that this boy was special as they all took seats around the main table in the room.

"How very interesting."

The Headmaster interrupted Professor Oak's fascination with the proposal that seemed to take forever to get to.

"Professor Oak wants you to start training at his Academy in Pallet Town. After seeing your ability to manage a whole team of people, let alone a whole pack of pokemon, he felt it would only be fit to see you become an even stronger trainer. He will be willing to open up space for you. What do you say?"

Red looked up at the older men and for the second time today, he was speechless.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been his dream since he knew what a pokeball was. He might even venture to say that it was his destiny, but he knew his Mother. She'd say no if he had said something so ridiculous.

Yet she had been called into school and talked with him while her child was in class. The teacher was droning on about Gemini and how it was a Goldilocks planet (whatever Goldilocks was), while Red couldn't concentrate. He was one "yes" away from the school of his dreams, to the thing he had always dreamed of becoming.

He could see it now.

_He was in the center of the stadium. Celadon Arena, in its full glory, with thousands of people in the stands glittering with camera flashes, making them seem like the night sky._

_He was exhausted, weary and proud. He had just won a battle. It had been the shortest 2 hours of his life. His pokemon were just as tired, but he felt a euphoria that could only come with a crowd chanting your name in a victorious roar. He screamed with relish, pumping his fists and standing in the center of the giant pokeball that separated the two sides of the arena._

_Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red!_

"... Because Gemini's measurements are similar to Earth's, that's why it's called a Goldilocks planet. The only thing that separates us from Earth is our radioactive core instead of a molten core. Any questions?"

_Rats. I was hoping the intercom would call my name already._

He was told that his mother had left the office and that he were to stay in school- _typical of his Mom-_ and would talk with his father about it before making a final decision.

_So they __**were**__ making a big deal about it..._

The day flew faster than a pidgeot's quick attack, slow on the beginning and end but a blur in the middle. It was at the end, when Red was dropped off from the students march (where all of the students of a certain district would walk together to their houses. The school was near the edge of Celadon City, so it wasn't that long of a walk), he felt a little hesitant to walk through the door.

His hand levitated over the "open" button, as nervous as he was when he got back a mark on a hard test. This was going to either be the biggest change in his life or just another time his parents wouldn't understand him.

He was completely surprised with what came next.

The door slid open, revealing his small, comfortable home. It was a two story house, the lower level being a huge room, centered with a dinner table and surrounded by a small kitchen, a TV, two-piece couch and a map of Kanto posted next to the backyard door. At that table sat his Mother, cleaner than she was this morning, and his father, covered in coal dust from head to toe. And they were smiling from ear to ear. It was almost frightening.

"Hello, Red!"

"Hello, Mom...Father... What's going on?"

"Well, you'll be happy to know how important your education is to us..."

Red's face started turning white. _Is this a joke?_

"But who says education only has to happen at your school?"

The boy was too emotionally confused. "What do you mean-?"

"Well," Mom stood up and knelt down to her precious only son. She didn't want him to go, but...

"We decided that... You're going to become a pokemon trainer!"

She never saw him jump so high and pump his fists at Hitmonchan speed. She forgot for a second that she was losing him and just felt excited for what was to come for him.

The rest of the information for the Academy was sent to them the next day via pidgey, including clothes and books. Red was allowed to stay home, as he was to leave the next day.

"There aren't many books on the list," Mom said when she looked at it at the table during breakfast. Red was distracted, scratching the underside of the little bird's chin, to its delight.

"Red, do you know why you only need _Pokemon Types for Beginners_?"

Red turned back to her as he sent the Pidgey away. "Mom, there is only 1 class a day. The rest is training the pokemon and battling them with other's."

She looked further into the envelope and fished out a white ribbon.

"What's this?"

He took it from her and gave a closer look. It looked like a military ribbon, attached to a pin and engraved with the Pokemon League official insignia: a sideways V with the top bent down.

He couldn't believe that this was happening. He was on his way to becoming a trailer- and so much earlier than he expected! The uniform was as simple as his school one, just in greater quantities; they warned that early trainers go through clothes very quickly when it comes to training themselves with a pokemon.

Even though he knew everything there was to know about stats and battling, he didn't know what to expect when he was picked up by car and brought to the Academy, all the way in Pallet Town.


	6. Chapter 6

The car sped through the countryside, covered by a cloudless sky and the bright morning sun. Red never got to see the world speed by like this. The boy was glued to the window as he sat in the backseat, his duffel bags packed in the trunk of Professor Oak's sedan. He saw a flock of Spearow fly near the trees and could've sworn he saw a mankey climbing a tree as they passed through Vermillion City.

"We're almost there Red. Don't get too distracted."

He learned from his parents to reply with "Yes Sir."

"The first thing you will do is get your room number. After you bring your stuff into it, you will be given a small introduction of the school and be given your first primer."

"Excuse me Sir, but what's a primer?"

He could see the Professors bright blue eyes through the rearview mirror. "Your first pokemon."

_My first POKEMON?! _He couldn't believe that he could be more excited than he was already.

The car slowed down near a patch of tall hedges and turned into an archway barely visible from the side. To Red's overwhelmed eyes, a huge palace opened up in front of him.

The beige stone, red roofs and blue tinted windows caught the sun's rays and glowed across the entire campus, covered with meticulously trimmed hedges and trees; some were even in shapes of majestic- looking pokemon, like Arcanines, Tauros and Gyarados, in battle positions. The car hovered over the neatly swept dirt driveway as it parked right in front of the huge wooden doors, covered in shining gems that looked like colored pokeballs.

Red got out with the Professor as another person gathered his things and brought them in. He wasn't used to such service, as he was his mother's servant since he was able to lift a bag of groceries.

The lobby looked so pristine, with marble floors and white walls covered in abstract art and pictures of alumni mid-battle, lit by sun-lights reflecting off of a fancy chandelier. The secretary was covered by the big black countertop. The Professor was right behind him when he drew her attention away from the huge screen in front of her..

"Natasha, we have a new student. Mr. Satoshi Tajiri"

"Oh! Yes Professor. Mr. Tajiri from-?"

Red felt inclined to answer for her.

"Celadon City, maam."

Professor Oak lightly jabbed at him with his elbow.

_"_Red, only speak when spoken to at this institution." He sounded much sterner than before, taking Red completely off guard.

"You are in a Pokemon Academy, not just an ordinary school. We have rules here."

Red blushed in the face as he turned towards the ground. It was just he was so excited...

"I must leave now to take care of some other matters. From here on out, I'm not your friend, I'm your Headmaster. I do not mean that to sound threatening. I mean that in the way that you may visit me only on appointment. Do not seek out my favoritism. The only way you could do that is to become an extraordinary trainer. Any other flattery will not work. Try to cut any corners and you will fail. Training is the hardest part. The hours will be long. There will be times when you might want to give up. But that's where you could find the power inside. I hope you find yours, and I hope you catch my attention again."

He walked away from him into the room next to the secretary's desk, leaving Red alone for the first time in his life.

The noise from behind the desk snapped him out of his daze. She blazed across her keyboard, loudly typing words as she printed out papers and put a fancy looking red device into a bigger slot on the computer. A couple more beeps and bops were all that came from it and then stopped, sounding a ding and then coughing it up a few inches. Then she gave it to him with a packet and a small key.

"Here's your room key, instruction papers and your Pokedex. That device is irreplacable, so don't lose it. Please turn it on so that you can start your orientation. The room your in is occupied by a level black trainer, so try to learn from him as much as possible. It would be in the West Wing. Once you are settled, please make your way to the testing room down that hallway-" she pointed in the opposite direction- "where your academic level will be placed. Be on time to that. Dexter will tell you the rest."

As he turned towards the west wing, he asked- "Who's Dexter?"

She gave him a warm smile before returning to the screen. "That's the name of the voice on the Pokedex. Good luck!"

He slowly walked down the hall as he pressed the tiny power button on the red device. It popped open in his hands and vibrated to life.

"Hello _Satoshi_ Tajiri_ and welcome to the Pokemon Academy..."


End file.
